Floating seal assembly



M. E. sALlsBuRY FLOATING SEAL ASSEMBLY med Aprill 2v, 193e 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVE T R 'a y J f MMM/w, l .ATTORNEYS shaft wear away.

Patented Jan. 9, 1940 VIJNI'IED STATES PATENT f OFFICE l FLOATING SEAL lASSEMBLY Maxwell E. Salisbury, Palmyra, N. Y., assignor to The Gai-lock Packing Company, Palmyra, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 27, 1938, Serial No. 204,634

3 Claims.

Vpositioned over a shaft in sealing relation with it and with the adjacent machine element, is yet capable of limited movement ina radial direction such as will permit the assembly to accommodate itself to corresponding radial movements of the shaft, that is, to float with the shaft, without destroying the seal or subjecting the parts of the assembly to excessive stress and wear.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an assembly comprising a unitary sealing element of a readily replaceable nature having an annular sealing lip of flexible packing ma` terial adapted to wipe a machine shaft, for example, and form a seal at -that point, and a mounting for the element having a surface capable of engaging a complemental face of an adjacent machine element in sliding, but also sealing relation in such manner that the element and its mounting may move with the shaft In a radial direction as the journals supporting the The full nature of the invention, as well as other objects and varicus features thereof, may be more fully understood from a consideration of the following description in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel is an end elevational view of a fragment of a machine -showing-one form of sealing assembly embodying the invention applied thereto with certain parts broken away better to show the underlying ones;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are elevational views of a fragment ofa machine, similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the application of modified` forms of sealing assemblies embodying the invention, with certain parts again broken away better to show underlying ones; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 represent a fragment of a machine including a housing member I0 having an opening therein lined with babbitt, brass or similar metal to serve as a bearing II yfor the rotating shaft I2, and a sealing assembly including an element, generally designated I3,

surrounding the shaft and sealing the opening in the housing for the purpose of retaining grease, oil or otherl lubricating fluid within the bearing where it is needed.

, 'Ihe sealing element I3 is preferably of a standard unitary type which may readily be replaced when worn. As here shown, it comprises a ring of packing material having a body por- 10 tion I4 suitably held by the' flanges of a shell I5, and a flexible sealing lip. I8 adapted to be pressed into wiping contact with the shaft I2 by a resilient spreader member I1. The constructional details of this element form no part of the present invention for almost any type of unitary seal may be used with equally good results. Examples of several different forms which are applicable will be found in Patents Nos. 1,893,814; 1,942,705; 1,969,008; 1,969,797; and others.

The bearings4 I i may be subjected to excessively heavy loads, and accordingly wear rapidly. In a rolling mill, for example, it is not unusual'to ilnd that the brasses have worn out-of-round by three-eighths of an inch or more, and that the shaft, of course, has dropped from its initial position'by an equal amount. If, under such condition, the sealing element were rigidly mounted in the housing, in the usual way, then obviously its lip would be utterly ruined within a very short time. Aside from the cost of replacement, its destruction would result in the loss of lubricant, etc.

In order to prevent such undue wear, the assembly o f the present invention includes a mounting for the unitary sealing element which is capable of limited radial movement whereby it, and

the element, may float with the shaft and maintain the various parts properly centered with' respect to each other.

In one preferred form (Figs. 1 and 2) the mounting comprises an annular cage Il having a central shaft opening or bore I9, a plane rear surface 29, a cylindrical recess 2I in its front face, and a circular series of pockets 22 surrounding the recess; a cap 23 provided with a central bore 24, a circular series of pockets 25 in its rear face matching those in the cage, and a pair of radially disposed lugs projecting outwardly from its front face; a pluralityof coil springs 21 adapted to be seated within the pockets of the cage and cap: and-a cover plate, 28 having a central bore 29,' and a pair of grooves 30 in its rear face extending' radially from the bore 2l and adapted to receive and cooperate with the lugs of the cap member. l

The recess 2| of the cage is, of course, designed to receive the sealing element of the assembly. In the preferred embodiments, its diameter is intentionally somewhat-less than that of the sealing element; and the lattery rn'ust necessarily be pressed into the recess so that the outer surfaces f of its shell engage the adjacent surfaces of the cage in leak-tightrelation.

After the insertion of the sealing element V|13,

the cage I8 and the cap 23 may be slipped over the shaft |2, and disposed within the somewhat larger cylindrical chamber 3| formed inthe hous- 1 In the operation of the machine, as the bearingsy wear away and the shaft progressively drops from its initial position to new ones, the cage and cap move `with it and thus keep the sealing lip and the shaft constantly centered and ineffective sealing relation. 'This movement, however, has no eect upon the seal between the rear surface of the cage and the adjacent surface of the housing for these parts are constantly pressed into engagement by the various springs 21. The lugs, of course, prevent rotation of the cap, and through the springs, such movement on the part of the cage. Itis evident from the foregoing that the assembly, including the unitary-sealing element and the mounting, effectively closes the shaft opening in the housing, keeps it closed at all times to prevent the loss of lubricant, and yet permits the various parts to oat with the shaft thus to avoid undue wear.

It has been assumed. in the foregoing, that radial movement of the shaft is due entirely to the wearing of the bearings. That is not necessarily so, for there are many machines wherein av relatively long shaft, running at fairly high speeds, or one wherein the bearings have worn badly in a horizontal as well as in 'avertical -direction, will whip to a greater vor lesser extent. The major component of the whip is usually in a vertical direction, but it may also have a horizontal component.

An assembly, including a unitary sealing element and the mounting therefor, adapted to float in a horizontal as well as in a vertical direction, is

illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6. The princlpal'diilerence between this device and the one hereinbefore described will be found in the fact that they lugs are somewhat narrower than the slots in `which they are confined, the difference between `these dimensions roughly approximating the extent of lateral, or horizontal, whip. In this modiiication the lugs preferably take the form of .tails may best be seen in Fig.

small round pins 26a; and the slots 30a in the cover plate 28a are much larger and of oval shape. The relative proportions and constructional de- In operation, frictional Acontact between the shaft |2a and the sealing lip |6a, tends to rotate the entire cage andcap with the shaft, and thus to hold the pins 26am engagement with the sides of the slots 33a. Any whip of this shaft, however,

in either a vertical or a lateral direction, will be met by a corresponding movement of the cage 'or the cap 23h is linked at 33' to a pin 34 carried by a stationary part ofthe machine, either the housing member |017 or the cover plate 28h, as may be most convenient. 'I'he assembly, of course,

may move up or down with the shaft, or crosswise thereof, and the link serves only to prevent rotation.

= `A further modification providing, for universal floating of the sealing assemblyV is shown in Fig. 15 5. This embodiment of the invention represents a combination of the features of the devices hereinbefore described. Briefly, the cap 23c of this device is provided with but a. single pin or lug 26o for preventing rotation, and that pin is of 20 circular cross section adapted to t within a slot o in the cover plate 28o with a minimum clearance. In other respects this modification Amay be substantially identical with the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, heretofore described.

In operation, the pin 26o merely serves as a sliding fulcrumpermitting the cage and cover to move up or down or crosswise with the shaft in the desired manner. It is, of course, simpler than the arrangements of Figs. 3, 4 and 6; and in 30 addition, there is no possibility that its pin will' chatter against the sides ofthe slot as might happen with the device of Figs. 3 and 6.

Since certain changes maybe made in the embodiments of the invention which are well within 35 the skill of the ordinary mechanic, it is intended that the foregoing shall be construed in a descriptive rather than in a. limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. An assembly for sealing the annular space between a machine element and a relatively rotatable shaft passing through an opening in the element, comprising: an annular cage having its central bore adapted to make running fit with the shaft, a rear plane face adapted to engage an opposing plane surface of the machine ,element in sliding but leak-tight contact, and a cylindrical recess in its front face concentric with its bore; a unitary sealing element of cylindrical proportions disposed withinl the recess of the cage with its outer surfaces making leaktight contact with the adjacent lsurfaces of the cage and having a flexible sealing lip adapted to make wiping contact with the machine shaft; a cover element adapted to be positioned over the cage and to be aillxed to the machine element, said cover having a centrally located opening of such dimensions as to receive the shaft and to permit radial movement of the shaft without engaging the cover, meansbetween the `cover and cage permitting radial movement of the latter while preventing rotation thereof; and a plurality of resilient elements located between'and reacting against said cover and cage to press the plane rearsurface of the cage, into leak-tight contact 66 with an adjacent plane surface ofthe machine element.

3. An assembly for sealing the annular spacel between a machine element and a relatively rotating shaft passing through an opening therein, comprising: an annular cage having its central bore adapted to make runningflt with the shaft of the machine, a. rear plane face, adapted to en' gage an adjacent plane surface of the machine element in sliding but leak tight relation, a cylindrical recess in its front face concentric with its bore, and a series of pockets formed at arcuately spaced points in its front face surrounding the recess; a unitary seal element disposed/in the recess with van outer cylindrical surface making leak-tight contact with a like surface of the cage, andhaving a exible sealing lip adapted to make wiping contact with the' shaft; an annular cap positioned over the v cage with its central bore adapted to make running ilt with the shaft, and. having series of pockets in its rear face matching the pockets in the opposing front face of the cage, and a lug extending axially from its front face; a cover element adapted to bey positioned over the cage and cap and to -be affixed to the machine element', said cover having a centrally located opening of such dimensions as to receive and permit radial movement of the shaft without engaging the cover, and a'. radially extending slot in' its rear face adapted to accommodate the lug of the cap for preventing rotation of the cap while 'permitting radial movement thereof and a plurality of springvr elements having their opposite ends seated within the pockets of the cage and cap andadapted to press the rear surface of the cage into leak-tight contact withan opposin plane surfaceof the machine element.

MAXWELL E. SALISBURY. 

